Beijing:
Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered to “break new ground” to boost ties between China and France, days after French President Emmanuel Macron's high-profile visit to India, where the two countries unveiled an ambitious defense roadmap besides stepping up defense cooperation. strategic Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region.
Macron's visit to India also coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France.
In his speech on the occasion, Xi said: “As today's world is once again at a crucial crossroads, China and France must jointly open a path of peace, security, prosperity and progress for human development.”
Xi said China attaches great importance to the development of bilateral ties and is willing to work with Macron to view the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties as an “opportunity to uphold fundamental principles, break new ground” , to build on past achievements, to open a new path'. future, and make the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership solid and more dynamic,” the official media reported.
China has offered to increase French imports to the country, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
“We will continue to unleash demand from consumer and investment markets and expand imports of high-quality products and services from France,” he said, hoping that France will also provide Chinese companies with a fair, equitable and predictable business environment.
China is prioritizing ties with France, while Macron is pushing Europe to become a third bloc, a balancing force between the US and China.
Citing China-France relations, Chinese official media have called for intensifying cooperation in high-tech fields.
“Scientific and technological cooperation between France and China has been a cornerstone of their relationship. From space and the nuclear industry to renewable energy, the two countries have made significant progress in joint research and development,” state-owned China Daily said in his editorial. .
President Macron was the sixth leader from France to be the chief guest at India's 75th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26.
Beijing was closely watching Macron's visit to India as Paris emerges as a key defense partner of New Delhi amid efforts by the US and European Union to court India to counter China.
Following Macron's talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two countries unveiled an ambitious defense industrial roadmap to jointly develop crucial military hardware and strengthen cooperation in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region, a key area of concern for China.
“The defense and security partnership has been the cornerstone of the India-France partnership in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes a comprehensive range of bilateral, multinational, regional and institutional initiatives, especially in the Indian Ocean region,” said the joint statement issued after Macron's speech. visit to India said.
“They also agreed to intensify their cooperation in the southwestern Indian Ocean, building on the joint surveillance missions carried out from the French island region of La Réunion in 2020 and 2022,” the report said.
The intensification of cooperation between India and France in the Indian Ocean is worrying China as it seeks to make forays into India's backyard.
The US, India and several other world powers have discussed the need to ensure a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific, against the backdrop of China's increasing military maneuvers in the resource-rich region.
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